Engineers are problem solvers.
Power plants can be overwhelming. Everywhere you look, there are pipes, valves, levers, gauges, buttons, conveyors, machinery. What do they do? How does it all work?
That’s where Logan Pickrell shines. As Senior Engineer at EKPC’s Spurlock Station, Logan is responsible for keeping systems running on two of the plant’s four generating units.
He helps keep the lights on for 1.1 million Kentucky residents served by 16 electric co-ops that own EKPC.
“I’m a boiler junkie,” Logan says with a grin. He recalls tagging along with boiler inspectors a decade ago when he was a co-op student. “I was fascinated with the boilers.”
And he still is. That’s clear when he describes looking into the inspection window of a unit’s furnace.
“Staring into a big ball of flame, it’s more eye-opening than you can imagine.”
When something goes wrong with the plant’s complex machinery, he’s not intimidated.
“Engineers are problem solvers. We’re always looking for ways to make our systems better, safer and more reliable. When we’re presented with a challenge, it’s very rewarding to be able to study it, propose, develop, consult, collaborate and then implement a change.”
But, he says, it’s even more rewarding to prevent a problem from ever happening. Logan leads and participates in efforts to continually find ways to improve efficiency and reliability.
A few years ago, Logan led EKPC’s effort to become certified to make welding repairs on boilers, piping and pressure vessels, the first utility in Kentucky to do so.
And he’s always looking for ways to provide more operational flexibility for generating units so they maintain their competitive edge as new generating technologies enter the market.
As always, it’s a team effort.
“Working at EKPC is so rewarding because we live the cooperative model by fostering a culture of teamwork, integrity and respect.”